Merchandise display device



G. E. FAGAN ET AL MERCHANDISE DISPLAY DEVICE June 21, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 9. 1956 INVENTORS: 60mn/VE FAG/uv ana FRED/ NEFF/@RUNNER l l 5' f f ,@Mcm,

ATTORNEYS.

June 21, 1960 G. E. FAGAN ET AL 2,941,670

MERCHANDISE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Oct. 9. 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS: GORDO/VE, E46/4N and /ffo hf NEFF/vRuA/A/f@ @,MLWMWQMC,

TTORNEVS.

`lune 21, 1960 G. E. FAGAN ET AL MERCHANDISE DISPLAY DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 9. 1956 .Pune 21, 1960 G. E. FAGAN ET AL MERCHANDISE' DISPLAY DEVICE 4 sheets-sheet 4 Filed Oct. 9. 1956 INVENTORS.' GORDON-E H4 Affi/via @41.0, M, MY 63m,

ATTORNEYS.

`United States Patent O MERCHANDISE DISPLAY DEVICE Gordon E. Fagan, Tonawanda, and Alfred H. Tiefenbrunner, Williamsville, N.Y., assgnors to General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.

Filed Oct. 9, 1956, Ser. No. 614,925

6 Claims. (Cl. 21149) This invention relates to .an improved merchandise display device which is open at the `front and top thereof for visual display of the contents When placed on a store counter or shelf. The invention is particularly characterized by the fact that the bottom structure of the container is telescopically adjustable forwardly and rearwardly, to correspondingly vary the volumetric capacity of .the device. lFurthermore, it is a particular feature of the invention that the relatively slidable bottom member` terminates in an upwardly bent front panel or lip portion 4for retaining the ldisplaced merchandise against dislodgment. Also, 'the bottom structure of the device is adjustable so as to project merchandise displayed bythe device outwardly beyond the line o-f other merchandise disposed on .the same counter or shelf, whereby the merchandise so supported is the most prominently displayed.

vOne of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved merchandise display device embodying the lfeatures aforesaid, which is of structurally simplified and inexpensively fabricated form.

Another object is to provide a ldisplay device as aforesaid which is readily adjustable .to suit a large variety of merchandise loadings `with utmost facility and con-` Fig. 1 is a pian View of the anni rfrom which is formedr one portion of the adjustable bottom snbassembly of the display device of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blank from which is fabricated the second component ofthe bottom subassembly of the device;

Fig. 3 illustrates an initial step in the -fabrication of the bottom subassernbly unit of the device;

Fig. 4 illustrates in perspective the bottom subassembly device in substantially completed form;

Fig. 5 illustrates the plan view form of the blank from which the main container component of Kthe device is fabricated;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating diagrammaticallya step in the fabrication of the b-lank of Fig. 5; l

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the display device of the invention subsequent to iinal assembly of the main container .and bottom components thereof; showing the bottom unit `in contracted position;

Fig. 8 is a View corresponding to Fig. 7, but showing the bottom unit in forwardly extended position; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the device in merchandise displaying condition, with the bottom unit thereof in extended position.

The display device of the invention comprises generally a main container component designated 10, anda 2,941,670 Patented June 2 1, 1 960 ICC tend somewhat obliquely way from the wings 16--16. A

front panel 20` extends forwardly of the main body p ortion 14 along a fold line 21 therebetween. Locking flaps 22 extend forwardly `from the panel 20 and joined thereto along a double fold line 23, and each terminates in an ear 24 yfor subsequent slip-fitted locking insertion in registering slots 25 formed along the foldline 21.` The wings 16 adjoin the body portion 14 at fold lines 26, through ywhich .are formed elongate slots 28-28. Fig. 2 illustrates the form of blank from which the second element of the false bottom component is fabricated. This blank may .also be formed of any suitable sheet material such as cardboard, sheet metal, sheet plastic, or the like, and comprises a generally rectangularly shaped central body portion 30 appended at its opposite sides .by wings 32.-32 joining the body portion 30 at fold lines 33-33. The wings 32-32 are subtended by locking aps 34-34 adjoining the wing portion 32-32 along fold lines 35-35. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the rst step in lfabrication of the sliding tray component of the device is to superpose theportion 30 of the blank of Fig. 2 substantially in the center of the portion 14 of t-he blank of Fig. l, with the top edges of the two the .device is illustrated in Fig. 4. It will be seen that` the wings 3'2-312 are first 4folded into vertically Standing attitudes. The side wings 116-16 are then similarly folded into vertically standing attitudes. The locking flaps 34, 34, 18, 18 are then folded inwardly as shown in Fig, 4, whereupon the front panel 20 is then bent upwardly about its -fold line 21 so that the panel 20 lies against the front faces of the flaps 18, 34. The locking ilaps 22 are then folded over and rearwardly and then down into the interior of the ydevice so that their extending tongue portions 24 slip-fit into the slotted apertures 25, to lock the tray assembly in the attitude shown in Figs. 7, 8. Thus, it will be appreciated that the `tray subassembly unit has opposite side walls 16-16, a low front wall panel 20, and intermediately disposed upright partitions 32, 32.

Figs. 5, 6 illustrate fabrication of the main container portion 10 of the display device. As shown in Fig. 5, this portion of the Vdevice is yformed from a blank of sheet cardboard or plastic .or metal or the like to comprise a generally rectangularly shaped central body portion 40 comprising the base panel of the container adjoined by a back Vpanel portion 42 by means of a fold line 43 ydisposed therebetween. The base panel portion 40 is .appended at its opposite ends by end iiaps 44 joining the base panel 40 at fold lines 45 and in ltum `ap` pended respectively by lock aps 46 joining the aps 44 at double fold lines 47. The back panel portion 42 is appended at its opposite ends by means of panel portionsV 6; The end flaps 44-44 are then folded upwardly along their fold lines 45 while the lock aps 46 are slip-fitted through slots 50-50 formed in the panel portions 48--48- Afterthe 'flaps 46 are slip-fitted through slots 50 -they are bent downwardly about their double fold lines 47 so that their extreme end portions slip-lit downwardly into slots 524-52 formed along the fold lines L15- 45. Actually, the ends of the flaps 46-46 are not inserted in the slots 52-52 until subsequent to assembly of the component 12 interiorly of the component 10. This last step in assembly of the display device of the invention is accomplished by simply sliding the tray component 12 into the open interior of the container component 10, as shown in Fig. 8 until such time as the upstanding lug portions 17=17 are disposed behind the positions of the locking flaps 46-46. These aps are then folded downwardly and inserted at their extreme ends in the slots 52-52, thereby embracing the side panel 16-16 of the sliding tray component and at the same time cooperating with the upstanding lug portions 17--17 thereof to prevent subsequent unintended disassembly of lthe device. Thus, as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, the deviceV is now in completed form and adapted to receive merchandise in stacked relation therein; the tray component 12 being readily slidable forwardly or rearwardly and telescopically in relation to the container portion 10 so as to thereby vary the volumetric capacity of the display device. Furthermore, by sliding the tray portion forwardly to project outwardly from the front edge of the main container portion 10, the merchandise at the frontend of the tray device may be thereby projected out beyond the prole line of other merchandise on display on the same counter.

Fig. 9 illustrates, in perspective, application of the display device of the invention to a merchandise display project. As illustrated therein, a variety of packaged merchandise may be readily accommodated within a display devi-ce and the latter may be extended forwardly so that the front row of merchandise is thereby projected outwardly beyond the line of the counter 60 upon which the display device is rested. As shown in the drawings herewith, the blank of Fig. 2 may be dimensioned and disposed in relation to the blank of Fig. l so as to subdivide the interior of the container unit into compartments of any desired width dimensions. For example, as shown in the drawing herewith the device is compartmented to accommodate three rows of merchandise packages of different widths; but of course it will be understood that the device may be readily constructed so as to accommodate any other number of rows of merchandise of any dimension, as may be preferred. As shown in Fig. 9, the display device will initially be preferably loaded substantially to its ll, but as merchandise is sold from the display device and the front layers thereof become depleted, the sliding tray portion 12 may be simply pressed rearwardly so as to compact the remaining store of merchandise, thereby giving the appearance of a fully loaded display stand of somewhat smaller dimensions. This has an advantageous psychological effect and contributes to the appearance of tidiness of the display.

We claim: t

1. A merchandise display device comprising a main container member having a central body portion, a back panel, side panels, end flaps and lock aps on said end flaps; and a tray portion comprising a body portion and side wing portions having slide limit lugs extending upwardly therefrom, said tray slidably inserted within said container member to rest upon said central body portion and to be slidable thereon in forward and rearward directions; each of said side panels having a slot substantially parallel to the central body portion and through which one of said lock flaps is passed and beyond which said lock ilap extends, said lock flaps being folded over .portions of said sliding tray .device to guide it .and beingr 4 located in the path of said slide limit lugs, for engagement by the lugs, to maintain the display device in assembled relation.

2. A merchandise display device including in combination a main container member having a central body portion, an upstanding back panel, means associated with said back panel, for maintaining it upstanding, upstanding side panels, two upstanding end flaps and a lock flap attached to the outer edge of each of said end aps, said main container member also having a slot adjacent each juncture of said central body portion and one of said end flaps; and a tray slidably inserted within said container member to rest upon said central body portion, said tray comprising a body portion and two upstanding side wing portions, said tray also having a tray slot adjacent each juncture of said tray body portion and one of said side wing portions and aligned with one of said lirst slots, each of said side panels havingV a slot substantially parallel to the central body portion, said lock aps attached to one of said end flaps passing through one of said side panel slots and one of said tray slots and held by one of said rst slots thereby overlying said wing portion to maintain the unit in assembled relation.

3. A merchandise display device including in combination a main container member having a central body portion, an upstanding back panel, at least one upstanding side panel, at least one upstanding end ap and a lock flap attached to said end flap, said main container member also having a iirst slot adjacent the juncture of said central body portion and said end ilap and a second slot in said side panel vertically above and aligned with said rst slot; and a tray slidably inserted within said container member to rest upon said central body portion, said tray comprising a body portion and at least one upstanding side wing portion, said tray also having a tray slot adjacent the juncture of said tray body portion and said side wing portion and aligned with said first slot, said lock flap attached to said end flap passing through said second and tray slots and held by said first slot thereby overlying said wing portion to maintain the unit in assembled relation.

4.1A merchandise display device including in combination a main container member having a central body portion, an upstanding back panel, at least one upstanding side panel, at least one upstanding end flap, and a lock flap attached to the outer edge of said end flap, said main container member having a rst slot in said central portion parallel to the juncture of said central body portion and said end ap, said side panel having a slot vertically above and aligned with said rst slot; and a tray slidably inserted within said container member to rest upon said central body portion, said tray comprising a body portion and at least one upstanding side wing portion adjacent said end flap, said tray having at least one tray slot in its body portion adjacent to and aligned with said first slot, said lock flap attached to said end ap passing through said side panel slot and said tray slot and held by said first slot and overlying said wing portion, thereby maintaining the unit in assembled relation.

5. A merchandise display device comprising a main container member having a central body portion, an upstanding back panel, at least one upstanding side panel, at least one upstanding end flap and lock ap connected to said end flap; and a tray slidably inserted within said container member to rest upon said central body portion, said tray comprising a tray body portion and at least one upstanding side wing portion adjacent said side panel; said side panel having a slot substantially parallel to the central body portion and through which said lock flap attached to said end flap is passed and beyond which it extends downwardly engaging said one side wing portion of said tray, thereby guiding said tray and maintaining the unit in assembled relation.l

6. A merchandise display device comprising a main container member having a central body portion, a back panel, at least one side panel, at least one end Hap and a lock flap on said end ap; and a tray slidably inserted Within said container member to rest upon said central body portion and to be slidable thereon in forward and rearward direction, said tray comprising a body portion and at least one side wing portion having a slide limit lug extending therefrom, said one side panel having a slot substantially parallel to the central body portion and through which said lock ap is passed and beyond which it extends, said lock flap being folded over a portion of said sliding tray device to guide it and being located in the path of said slide limit lug, for engagement References Cited in the le of Ythis patent by the lug, to maintain the display device in assembled 15 2,518,779

relation.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Bright Feb. 10,

0verton Aug. 14, Lichtig et al July 25, Martin lune 9,

Martin Dec. 15,

Barnes Nov. 11,

Powell Apr. 20, Zalkind Aug. 30, Barter May 3, Hennessey Aug. 15, 

